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383d Bombardment Group
The 383d Bombardment Group is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the Army Service Forces, being stationed at Camp Azna, California. It was inactivated on 3 January 1946. The unit was initially a World War II B-17 Flying Fortress and B-24 Liberator operational training unit (OTU). Redesignated as a replacement training unit (RTU) in October 1943. Inactivated in April 1944 when Second Air Force switched to B-29 Superfortress training. Late in the war the group was reactivated and trained as a Very Heavy (VH) B-29 Superfortress group and assigned to Eighth Air Force in Okinawa. However, the war ended before the group could enter combat. History The 383d Bombardment Group (Heavy) was constituted on 28 October 1942 at Salt Lake City AAB, Utah, and activated on 3 November 1942. The 383d was assigned to Second Air Force as an operational training unit for B-17 Flying Fortress and B-24 Liberator flight crews, first at Rapid City AAF, South Dakota, then later at Geiger AAF, in Washington. With the phasedown of B-17/B-24 training, the 383d was inactivated on 1 April 1944. However, the unit was reactivated on 28 August as the 383d Bombardment Group (Very Heavy) and programmed as a B-29 Superfortress group for the Pacific Theater at Dalhart AAF, Texas. Shortages of B-29s for training caused the group to remain in the United States for almost a year until finally it deployed to Okinawa in August 1944 to be part of Eighth Air Force in the Pacific. However, the war ended before the group could enter combat. Reassigned to Twentieth Air Force in September 1945, the group flew a few training missions from Okinawa until being returned to the United States for demobilization in December. The 383d Bomb Group was inactivated on 3 January 1946. Lineage * Constituted as 383d Bombardment Group (Heavy) on 28 October 1942 : Activated on 3 November 1942 : Inactivated on 1 April 1944. * Redesignated 383d Bombardment Group (Very Heavy) : Activated on 28 August 1944 : Inactivated on 3 January 1946 Assignments * 2d (later II) Bomber Command, 3 November 1942 – 1 April 1944; 28 August 1944 – 31 August 1945 * 313th Bombardment Wing, 12 September-19 December 1945 * Army Service Forces, 2–3 January 1946 Stations Assigned * Salt Lake City AAB, Utah, 3–12 November 1942 * Rapid City AAB, South Dakota, 12 November 1942 – 20 June 1943 * Geiger Field, Washington, 20 June – 26 October 1943 * Peterson Field, Colorado 26 October 1943 – 1 April 1944 * Dalhart AAF, Texas 28 August 1944 – 14 January 1945 * Walker AAF, Kansas 14 January – 11 August 1945 * Kadena Airfield, Okinawa, 12 September – 19 December 1945 * Camp Anza, California 2–3 January 1946 Operational Units * 540th Bombardment Squadron 3 November 1942 – 1 April 1944 (B-17, B-24) * 541st Bombardment Squadron 3 November 1942 – 1 April 1944 (B-17, B-24) * 542d Bombardment Squadron 3 November 1942 – 1 April 1944 (B-17, B-24) * 543d Bombardment Squadron 3 November 1942 – 1 April 1944 (B-17, B-24) * 876th Bombardment Squadron 28 August 1944 – 29 December 1945 (B-29) * 880th Bombardment Squadron 28 August 1944 – 3 January 1946 (B-29) * 884th Bombardment Squadron 28 August 1944 – 29 December 1945 (B-29) Aircraft flown * Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress * Consolidated B-24 Liberator * Boeing B-29 Superfortress References * Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units Of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-89201-092-4. Category:Bombardment groups of the United States Army Air Forces Category:Military units and formations established in 1942 Category:Military units and formations of the United States in World War II Category:Japanese home islands campaign Category:World War II strategic bombing units Category:World War II aerial operations and battles of the Pacific Theatre